Of the many attributes of God and ways to describe him, one that is seldom mentioned is his holiness and His demand that his children be holy as well. The scriptures teach from the pen of Peter in 1:13-16: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. In fact, the only way anyone can be in his presence is to claim the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ who brings holiness to the believer. Conversation in the verse means in essence, your life and your behavior as you live that life: thusly the exhortation of verse 16 to be holy as God is holy.

It is obvious that many don’t know the living God and rail against his ways as they promote their sinfulness and try to destroy the messenger. Elton John said, "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

The man is trying to justify his behavior by blaming those who follow God which is the same as blaming God since he is the author of righteousness and holiness. Speaking the truth isn’t hate and never has been. Jesus said in Matthew 10: 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. Jesus came with a message that caused everyone to choose their path. They could either stay on the path of sin or they could follow him and find God’s holy ways. In other words, the way of God in Jesus Christ causes people to rebel, thus creating division between those who follow righteousness and those who persist in following sin.

The writer of Hebrews recorded in Hebrews 4:12-13: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The word of God opens up the thoughts and intents of the heart to His eyes and reveals the path one is on; either the one of sin or the one of holiness. People such as Elton John don’t like the holy message and desire to ban it. Yet, he follows the destructive religion of perversion. Will he ban that religion too?

Those who blame religion don’t understand that religion many times is very much different than following God, though one should be very religious in following Christ. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Paul wrote in a previous chapter, 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  The Word of God teaches us to be religious in following God through Jesus Christ which is the new way of life.

Serving God in faith and holiness isn’t about hate of others. It is about preaching the message of salvation while living a new life perfecting the holiness which God wants for all. Only those who repent and turn to God can do that. The ones who won’t repent blame God and continue in their sinful ways toward destruction.

© 11-19-2006 DEC

                             Next Lesson  A Fool's Logic